BWF World Championships draw leaves Indian shuttlers with daunting road in New Delhi |

SINDHU’S TEST

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu begins her campaign against Ireland’s Sophia Noble, but a much sterner challenge could await if she progresses.

The former world champion is projected to meet third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China in the Round of 16 before a possible quarterfinal against Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani. Sindhu has also landed in the same half of the draw as reigning Olympic champion An Se Young, making her road to the latter stages particularly demanding.

Teenage sensation Unnati Hooda will make her World Championships debut against Burmese shuttler Thet Htar Thuzar, with the youngster hoping to make the most of playing on home soil. If she makes it past the third round, she could be in for a battle with Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the quarters.

MEN’S BATTLE

Lakshya Sen has been handed a manageable opening-round fixture against Austria’s Collins Filimon, but the difficulty level is expected to rise quickly. If the 14th seed reaches the quarterfinals, he is projected to face No.2 seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the third round. He can also either France’s Alex Lanier or Christo Popov in the quarterfinals, with both among Europe’s brightest talents.

Ayush Shetty, meanwhile, has arguably been handed the toughest first-round draw among the Indian contingent. The unseeded youngster will take on world No. 1 and top seed Shi Yuqi of China in the Round of 64.

It will be their third meeting this season, with Shi holding a 3-0 head-to-head advantage. The Chinese star also defeated Ayush in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships earlier this year.

DOUBLES HOPES

India’s biggest medal hopes once again rest on Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who have received a first-round bye and will begin directly in the Round of 32 against the winners of the Scotland-Thailand clash.

Even then, the draw offers little respite. If the seedings hold, the Indian pair could face either China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang or Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in a blockbuster quarterfinal.

Mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto have also earned a first-round bye. Singapore Open Super 750 semifinalists earlier this season, the 15th seeds will look to ride home support in New Delhi as they chase the biggest result of their careers.

India’s women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who enter the tournament unseeded, will open their campaign against Spain’s Paula Lopez and Luca Rodriguez.

With New Delhi hosting the World Championships for the first time since 2009, India will be banking on home support to inspire a strong medal challenge. But with several of its leading contenders facing tricky draws and potential meetings with top-ranked opponents in the early knockout rounds, the road to the podium promises to be anything but straightforward.